An automobile (e.g., a car, truck, etc.) may include a spoiler 100 fixed to a rear portion of a vehicle 110, such as a trunk 120, by means of one or more support stands 130 as shown in FIG. 1. A spoiler adopted in automobile aeromechanics operates with the same fundamental principles as those of aerofoils of airplanes. A distinction between the two is that the airplane aerofoil produces an upward lift, whereas the automobile spoiler of an automobile produces a downward force along arrow A. As the vehicle 110 travels in a left to right direction, air flows to the left, along arrow B, and splits both above, along arrow C, and below, along arrow D, the spoiler 100. Since the air flows a longer distance below the spoiler 100 than above, it travels at a faster rate to meet up with the air from which it was split. This produces a differential in air pressure thereby resulting in the downward force, also known as a downforce. The downforce is proportional to the speed of the vehicle 110 and is helpful in improving tire traction and handling of the vehicle 110. Beside improving tire traction and handling, the spoiler 100 may enhance the aesthetics of the vehicle 110. It would further be desirable if the spoiler 100 would provide additional function(s) other than those described.
Automobiles, such as trucks, may include a rear-bed portion that may be useful for hauling cargo. In many instances, the cargo may be insecure and thus be dislodged from the rear-bed should, for example, the truck hit a bump. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a strategy for securing cargo in the rear-bed portion of the vehicle.
Another limitation of current rear-bed portions of vehicles relates to space limitations. For example, the amount of cargo capable of being hauled is limited to the actual dimensions of the rear-bed. In some instances, a tailgate of the rear-bed may be folded downward to provide additional cargo space. However, it would be desirable to provide a strategy for increasing the rear-bed size even further. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a tailgate assembly and method of operating the same that overcomes the aforementioned and other disadvantages.